Feather-Light French Crystal Glass
The development of our French portfolio has opened up more challenges, and certainly more than one opportunity than first imagined. In our research and travels, one name that came up more than a number of times was that of French glassmaker Sydonios. While (very fine) glassware was not something that occurred to us as a next step in the development of our brand, this was an opportunity that we felt alignment in more ways than one.
For one, and most importantly, this is the most beautiful stemware we have come across. Feather-light is an understatement. In the words of Antoine Schvartz “The idea of creating a glass, that really felt like there was no intermediary between the wine and the taster, just kept coming back to me”. This was more than an alluring concept for us, it was a totally unique way of thinking about glassware. The second we tried them, we were hooked.
But our alignment with Sydonios, as with all of the craftspeople that populate the pages of the portfolio, does not stop there. This is a young company, started in the same year as us (2016) with a contemporary view of the wine industry. Working together with industry heavyweights in France to prototype and eventually produce these glasses, Antoine and his partner Pierre-Edouard, themselves from Bordeaux, have successfully positioned their brand in around 80% of Bordeaux’ Cru Classe estates (and all of the First Growth Châteaux), hundreds of Champagne houses and an ever growing rostrum from Burgundy.
The collection includes six different glass types across two collections as well as two decanters. Each hand-blown stem is crafted with millimetre precision.
The range of Sydonios Glassware is available in limited quantities.
RACINE COLLECTION
Crafted for Sparkling, Whites & Reds
l’Universel
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L’Universel combines remarkable precision with astonishing versatility, offering delicate reds, Champagnes, white and sweet wines newfound fullness of expression.
When this glass was conceived, there were three priorities: finesse, elegance and versatility. L’Universel offers a refined form suited to all styles of wine. It was unanimously chosen by a panel of professional tasters, as evidenced by a few of their comments: “Perfect form, extremely expressive aromatics, incredible balance”
Lead-free crystal
Mouth-blown
Height: 230mm
Width: 78mm
Ratio: 1.4
Capacity: 350ml
Dishwasher-proof
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Champagne Gamet, Left Bank - Rive Gauche Brut
l’Esthète
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L'Esthète is a beautifully simple and subtle glass. With a bowl of 65mm diameter, it is ideally suited to fine wines with power and tannic structure. L’Esthète gives clarity of voice to powerful, tannic red wines while conserving balance and expressive aromatics.
Lead-free crystal
Mouth-blown
Height: 230mm
Width: 86mm
Ratio: 1.3
Capacity: 460ml
Dishwasher-proof
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Torre a Cona, Chianti Colli Fiorentini
le Subtil
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Crafted to accompany delicately structured red wine.
Lead-free crystal
Mouth-blown
Height: 222mm
Width: 128mm
Capacity: 860ml
Dishwasher-proof
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Tenuta di Fessina, Musmeci Etna Bianco
TERROIR COLLECTION
Crafted for Sparkling, Whites & Reds
le Méridional
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Le Méridonal accentuates the elegance of full-bodied red wine from warm terroirs.
Lead-free crystal
Mouth-blown
Height: 248mm
Width: 110mm
Capacity: 830ml
Dishwasher-proof
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Cirillo Estate, Mataro
Castell’in Villa, Chianti Classico Riserva
Empreinte
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L’Empreinte conveys the mineral origins of wines possessing vitality and purity. It really emphasises and amplifies the minerality of certain white wines.
Lead-free crystal
Mouth-blown
Height: 250mm
Width: 85mm
Capacity: 420ml
Dishwasher-proof
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Brocard Pierre Champagne, Pinot Blanc ‘Absimilis’
le Septentrional
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Le Septentrional perfectly transcribes the nuances of cool-climate wine, such as Syrah or Pinot Noir. We’re particularly fond of the way it highlights the delicate character of the Whisson Lake Monopole Pinot Noir.
Lead-free crystal
Mouth-blown
Height: 240mm
Width: 132mm
Capacity: 1000ml
Dishwasher-proof
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Whisson Lake, Monopole Pinot Noir
Giacomo Fenocchio, Barolo ‘Cannubi’
DECANTERS
l’Universel (1400 mL)
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Crafted for Champagne and Delicate Wine.
Lead-free crystal
Mouth-blown
Height: 300mm
Width: 110mm
Capacity: 140cl
Fridge Friendly
Dishwasher-proof
l’Esthète (1550 mL)
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Crafted for Structured and Powerful Wine.
Lead-free crystal
Mouth-blown
Height: 260mm
Width: 140mm
Capacity: 150cl
Dishwasher-proof
UBA
RANGE
Crafted for Sparkling, Whites & Reds
UBA Septentrional
UBA by Sydonios is a range comprised of glassware and decanters guaranteed to offer the brand’s signature exceptional tasting experience, but that would have otherwise been discarded due to minor defects.
Sydonios’ Unperfect but Amazing is the sustainable
answer to the inevitability of imperfection in hand blown, ultra-light crystal glassware. While many markets demand homogeneity, we are pleased to bring this excellent idea
to reality in Australia, knowing that it’s not just us that
sees a more sustainable path forward for fine wine.
Our UBA selection consists of our most popular glass,
the brilliant 1000mL ‘Septentrional’ Pinot/Nebbiolo glass and three special decanters including the new magnum sized 2.2L decanter.
The cost benefits are of course a natural benefit to
the UBA glassware, resulting in around a 30% saving
on the ‘regular’ Sydonios range
UBA L’Esthete (1500 mL)
Influential Customers.
Their first and most influential customer was Le Petit Sommelier, a Parisian wine bar that held monthly tastings, which gathered producers who then started to notice Sydonios.
Today, prestigious Cru Classé estates in Bordeaux have made Sydonios their partner of choice for their degustations. More than 300 winemakers across Champagne have succumbed to the Sydonios charms.
French Michelin Star Restaurants utilising Sydonios Glassware:
Clos des Sens, Les Prés d'Eugénie, Georges Blanc, Mandarin Oriental, La Scene, Neige d'Ete, Château de la Gaude, Apicius, Fleur de Pavé and more.
About the Collections.
The perfect proportions of the Racine and Terroir glasses allow your fine wines an unprecedented breadth of expression and an unparalleled gustatory experience. Sydonios glasses leave nothing to chance and honour the work of winemakers.
Each glass is unique with precise ratios that make its singularity. From height to the optimum diameter and rim diameter, every parameter has been thought out.
Sydonios glasses are closely monitored throughout the manufacturing process. They are mouth-blown in a traditional manner by master glassmakers to very strict specifications.
This ensures that each glass possesses the physical properties necessary to deliver a perfect tasting experience every time.
Why the Scientific Approach.
Sydonios was created to offer a unique gustatory experience combining finesse and oenological precision. Emboldened by the findings from numerous encounters with professionals of the French fine wine community, Sydonios designed and created 7 glasses, according to precise criteria on height and ratio ( aperture diameter / maximum diameter ).
A panel of 80 professionals from the world of wine was gathered to test the 7 glasses with wines that were contrasted from a sensory point of view. This unique scientific approach enabled us to select the most precise glasses and to segment the selected glasses independently.
‘The story behind the
Sydonios wine glass’
A chance encounter with Antoine Schvartz led Jane Anson to discover the background to Bordeaux's new wine glass with clients at more than half of the 1855 Cru Classé estates.
Article Written by Jane Anson
Roederer Awards 2016: International Feature Writer of the Year
Reviews.
“Sydonios Le Subtil - The most rounded shape with the widest diameter. Almost embarrassingly effective for your most perfumed and powerful wines. Developed with the help of hundreds of professional wine tasters, its brilliance clearly shines through.”
— Stefan Neumann MS
“For each juice tested with the Universel, we were impressed by the precision of the aromatic expression: it brings out the complexity and elegance of the wines. The bubbles appear finer than with other glasses, the white comes out more mineral and long, and the fruity notes of the red are better defined.”
— Laura Gasparotto, Le Monde
“Best for more developed reds - L’Esthete. The resulting handmade L’Esthète glass, which sleekly tames tannins in young wine and coaxes nuances from older renditions without exposing the wine to a shocking amount of air, is now used by ‘around 80% of the Grand Cru Classes in Bordeaux.”